Satch, Dizzy, and Rapid Robert: The Wild Saga of Interracial Baseball Before Jackie Robinson

by Timothy M. Gay

Before Jackie Robinson integrated major league baseball in 1947, black and white ballplayers had been playing against one another for decades—even, on rare occasions, playing with each other. Interracial contests took place during the off-season, when major leaguers and Negro Leaguers alike fattened their wallets by playing exhibitions in cities and towns across America. These barnstorming tours reached new heights, however, when Satchel Paige and other African- American stars took on white teams headlined by the irrepressible Dizzy Dean. Lippy and funny, a born showman, the native Arkansan saw no reason why he shouldn’t pitch against Negro Leaguers. Paige, who feared no one and chased a buck harder than any player alive, instantly recognized the box-office appeal of competing against Dizzy Dean’s "All-Stars." Paige and Dean both featured soaring leg kicks and loved to mimic each other’s style to amuse fans. Skin color aside, the dirt-poor Southern pitchers had much in common. Historian Timothy M. Gay has unearthed long-forgotten exhibitions where Paige and Dean dueled, and he tells the story of their pioneering escapades in this engaging book. Long before they ever heard of Robinson or Larry Doby, baseball fans from Brooklyn to Enid, Oklahoma, watched black and white players battle on the same diamond. With such Hall of Fame teammates as Josh Gibson, Turkey Stearnes, Mule Suttles, Oscar Charleston, Cool Papa Bell, and Bullet Joe Rogan, Paige often had the upper hand against Diz. After arm troubles sidelined Dean, a new pitching phenom, Bob Feller—Rapid Robert—assembled his own teams to face Paige and other blackballers. By the time Paige became Feller’s teammate on the Cleveland Indians in 1948, a rookie at age forty-two, Satch and Feller had barnstormed against each other for more than a decade. These often obscure contests helped hasten the end of Jim Crow baseball, paving the way for the game’s integration. Satchel Paige, Dizzy Dean, and Bob Feller never set out to make social history—but that’s precisely what happened. Tim Gay has brought this era to vivid and colorful life in a book that every baseball fan will embrace.

Genres: Baseball, Sports, Nonfiction, History

347 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[ARoQ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Author Timothy Gay’s one sentence thesis offered in the book’s subtitle is a compelling one- before Jackie Robinson broke MLB’s color barrier on April 15, 1947, there already existed an entire network of integrated baseball exhibitions across the country. Often, the very best in baseball took part in this barnstorming after the official season was over.

Unfortunately, this book never congeals into a satisfying narrative. We have here essentially summarized biographies of three of the most fascinating pitchers in baseball history, accounts of various barnstorming seasons that travel jarringly from one year to another and then back in time again, and reams and reams of deadening inning-by-inning accounts of these exhibition games that lend no real impact to the central theme. To be sure, a newcomer will at least be introduced to the great names of blackball- chief among them the almost-mythical Satchel Paige. However, I simply don’t know how anyone could glean much from this book without having been already introduced to the subject by more compelling biographies, by Ken Burn’s Baseball, or by a quick internet search. The topic is an essential piece of America history, and I have to believe it can be presented in a more urgent, engaging way.

[Brad · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's always fascinating to read about the Negri Leagues and wonder what if. So many guys would've been so good in the majors. This book keeps that going. A little dry in parts, it still tells a great story of the white ballplayers who, wittingly or not, ushered in integration. Dizzy Dean was the first to see the money to be made in barnstorming with the black players, and he fully supported how good they were. As they played throughout the Midwest, south and west, all kinds of future major leaguers and hall of famers played against them. And surprisingly it was Ted Williams who called on the Hall of Fame to honor them.

Not as sad as Josh Gibson's biography and not as in-depth and entertaining as Buck O'Neill's, but still a good read on an interesting part of American sports history.

[Matthew Raskind · Rating 2 out of 5]

Covers a fascinating period in baseball history, but the writing style makes it difficult to get engrossed - the writer focuses on reporting baseball results rather than really telling a narrative.

[George Polansky · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well written and well researched book. It is a must read for any one interested in the intolerance of the baseball owners on the major league level.

[Al Beard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting and full of facts.

Well researched and factual. Intersecting in the fact that not everyone is a hero. They are shown in true form.

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting storylines but it reads like an extended boxscore.

[Chickens McShitterson · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was okay. Not overly exciting. Relied an awful lot on game recaps which became a bit tedious at times. Nice to learn new information in Feller and Dean.

[Eric Stone · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very interesting period of baseball history and three really fascinating characters should have added up to a better book than this. There was plenty of fun stuff, stories here and there some of which I already knew and some of which I didn't, but it was more like a long recitation of whatever facts the author could dredge up about the integrated barnstorming during off-season baseball in the 1920s, '30s and '40s. There was a lot more concern for unearthing statistics about the games and players than there was for putting the story into the sort of historic, sociological and economic context that would have made for a truly great book. I'm enough of a baseball fan, and Satchell Paige is one of my all-time favorite players, that I enjoyed reading the book. But I imagine that anyone who isn't a fan isn't going to find much of interest in the book. A great baseball book transcends the statistics to become about greater, more general themes (eg. Moneyball) and this one didn't quite manage to do that.

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I never got the sense of an overall thesis - this was a recounting of the experiences of Dean, Paige and Roberts.

Dean and Paige were very focused on making money. They were showmen first, in many ways, and ball players second. I was distressed that they would leave in the 5th inning to get to their next gig. I have, I realize, an idealized view of baseball. Owners certainly were out to make money as well, and they thought little of the source of their income - players were often poorly paid, and there wasn't insurance or anything to protect them. Barnstorming could put the player in control - Paige and Dean certainly took control of their image and income through this type of play.

[Tj Lange · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book could have been a lot better. I have read many pieces on barnstorming and this one would fall in the bottom half. The author has such an amazing topic to write on yet misses the plate. He was all over the place and several times I had to re-read to follow along. I am Disappointed as I had high expectations that weren't close to met. I was extremely surprised to see from the author's bio that this book wasnt his first attempt at baseball because as I was reading I thought he was new to the game.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

So much about baseball I don't know or remember. Although I ended up skimming a good bit because of all the individuals and stats I really wasn't interested in, I loved the stories of these three baseball greats. And the best part is that my dad was one of the semi-pros in the early 30s who actually got a couple hits off of Satchel Paige when he came to Philllipsburg, NJ for a barnstorming game (though the game wasn't covered in this book).

[Jeff Pollard · Rating 1 out of 5]

really dry reading. like taking box scores from the 30' and writing an article for the sports page, over and over, and over, and over. Not a lot of anecdotes or memories. Guess the main characters being dead for a while is part of the problem. A documentary. Not a Saga.

[Clif Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

The shelf should be "sorta read." I skimmed a lot and jumped to the end. After a number of stories and background, it became little more that game statistics and who pitched, hit, or got drunk after the games. Not one of the best baseball books.

[Everett Corder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love Satch, and this book does a good job focusing on one area of his colorful career. Barnstorming at its height is a crazy tale and stark contrast from baseball of today, but that's what makes this book so interesting.

[Michael Webb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty much what the title promises-a fairly detailed, very readable look at the wild days of postseason barnstorming during the 1930s and 40s.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

The stories were awesome. I love putting a personality to Satchel. I think a little less about Dizzy, though. Rapid Robert, I've met. I'd like to find out more about him.